Dyeing machine



Oct. 30, 1951 F. c. NEU 2,573,047

DYEING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l F. c. NEU DYEING MACHINE;

Oct, 30, 1951 4 Sheets-.Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l, 1949 INVENTOR. Fr-'Ro//v/m/o C. /VFU rrae/w-y Oct. 30, 1951 F. c. NEU

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 rro @Af/FY Oct. 30, 1951 F. c. NEU 2,573,047

DYEING MACHINE Filed sept. 1, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v INVENTOR. 59 fipa/M4N@ /Vfc/ BY A /l//A d/ Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATESg PATENT OFFICE DYEING MACHINE Ferdinand C. Neu, Ridgefield, N. J. Application September 1, 1949, Serial No. 113,521)

1 'I'his invention relates to dyeing apparatus and in particular to a machine in which a plurality of skeins of material may be dyed.

A particular object of the invention is to so arrange the dye spraying means with respect to the skein holding means, that the material will be thoroughly and effectively saturated by the proper amount of dye to carry out the coloring operation.

In a machine, of the character herein disclosed, where heated dye uid under pressure is employed, it is an object of the invention to provide for protection of the machine attendant so that he will not be scalded by the vapor or fluid when the machine is opened for any purpose such as removing and replacing the skeins of material.

A further object is to provide means for rotating the skeins as they are subjected to the impingement of the dye fluid so that the strands are supported loosely and separate during the rotating motion of the skein to become thoroughly saturated with the dye fluid.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means for rotating the skeins rst in one direction and then in another and to control the rotation automatically so that the material of the skein is contacted by the sprayed fluid from all angles and in a consistent manner whereby the dyeing operation can be closely controlled; to provide safety means for cutting off the flow of dye fluid and stoppingrthe moving parts of the machine automatically when the latter is opened; to provide means for holding the skeins so that the machine can be quickly loaded and emptied; and to arrange for the circulation and heating of the dye fluid in such a manner as to obtain maximum operating eiciency of the machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain construction hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a skein dyeing machine constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the relation of a skein holder to the dye fluid' spray-means,

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line3-3 vof Figure 1 showing the dye fluid circulating means,

Claims. (Cl. 68-206) Figure 4 is a top plan view of the machine with parts broken away to show the interior structure thereof, Y

Figure 5 is a view in rear elevation with parts of the housing broken away and omitted to show the skein rotating means,

Figure 6 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5 showing the general structure and arrangement of the parts, and

Figure 7 is a diagram of the electric circuit used in the machine.

Referring to the drawings in detail lll indicates a frame upon which is' mounted a tank II which constitutes the dyeing chamber of the machine, the tank being substantially rectangular in shape and presenting bottom, side and end walls` I2, I3 and I4 respectively, made of any suitable metal and closed in thefront side wall I3 by a door l5 closely fitting within the flanged rim I6 of the door opening in said front wall and hinged adjacent thereto as at Il.

` The rear wall I3 (Figure 6), at the upper part thereof supports a shelf I8, the opposite ends of which constitute extensions I9 of the end walls I4 and are shaped to provide journal receptacles through which passes the dye fluid supply pipe 2| and about which is pivotally mounted, with a suitable iluid seal, a hollow cover 22. The latter is provided along its rear edge with a tubular fluid pipe housing 23 of larger diameter than said pipe 2| so that dye fluid coming out of perforations 24 along the back of the pipe 2 I will flow therearound and be'eflectively distributed along the floor 25 of the cover to ow evenly out of the strew holes 26 arranged longitudinally in spaced drip bars 21 positioned in suitable openings extending laterally of the floor of the cover. The rear edge of the floor is flanged as at 28 to coact with the outwardly flared upper edge of the tank to provide a seal. The edges of the cover provide a seal liit with the upper edge of the tank andthe front door I5 is prevented from being accidentally opened by a gravity latch 29 pivoted to the handle 30 of the cover 22 and having a pin-in-slot connection 3| with the handle so that the latch automatically prevents the door l5 from being accidentally opened or being forced open. The cover 22 at its rear carries a bailed counterweight 32 so that the operator is assisted in raising the cover.

Within the tank, the skeins to be dyed are 9 mounted on spaced skein carriers 33 which eX- tend across the tank and are each positioned directly beneath a drip bar 21. As many skein carriers as desired may be used depending upon the capacity of the machine. Each carrier consists of a pair of discs 34 connected by rods 35 which are supported in spaced annular arrangement about the axis of the disc. The inner disc is mounted on the end of a drive shaft 36 journalled in the rear wall of the tank and the side walls of a gear box 31 mounted on the shelf I8. The shaft of the carrier at one end of the tank is extended to receive a drive gear 38 (Figure 5) driven through a pinion 39 from a motor 40. Each of the shafts 36 carries within the gear box 31 a chain sprocket wheel 4I for driving engagement with an endless sprocket chain 42 passing over idlers 43, one of which is mounted in a lever 44 for automatic tensioning of the chain by a coil spring d'5, the tensioned position of the idler being insured by an adjusting stop screw 46 in the end wall of the gear housing. T-he motor is reversed in its action at predetermined time intervals under control of a timer 41 and a reversing switch 48 connected in circuit. The rev versal of the motor causes the skein holders 33 to rotate-clockwise and counter-clockwise a predetermined number of revolutions and the annular spacing of the rods 35 gently rotates the skeins so that all parts thereof will be subjected to the action not only of the dye coming through the strewholes 23 but through the opposite Ylines of spray holes 49 in a spray pipe 55 extending parallel to each skein carrier and close enough to the latter so that the skeins hang loosely about the pipe and are maintained in this relation by the spacing of the carrier rods. rThe pipe 5E) is supported in the side Wall of a dye distributing manifold 5I, having a constricted portion 52 and a lower chambered portion` 53, and passes through the rear side wall of the tank tovterminate in a capped end adjacent the front side wall thereof.

The dye uid under pressure is circulated through pipes 54 'connecting opposite ends of the manifold with opposite ends ofthe pipe 2I which passes through the cover 22 and through the spray pipes to be forced through the drip bar and spray pipe openings into the tank to bathe-the skeins and be caught in the bottom of the tank and drawn (Figure 3) through a screen 55 into a sump 55, through pipe 51, and a pump 58 driven by a motor 59. From the outlet side of the pump 58 the fluid passes through a control valve 6B into a pipe 6I entering the chambered lower part 53 of the manifold 5I and also through a pipe G2 to a distributing nozzle 53 mounted in an end wall I4 of' the tank. The nozzle consists of Adivergent tubes 64 of reduced diameter with respect to the pipe 62 and slotted in the crotch or bifurcation thereof as at 55 so that openings are provided for the ejection of three streams of dye that agitate the dye in the bottom ofthe tankY to prevent sediment from settling.

A discharge valve 6B beyond pipe 62 may be used to empty the machine through a pipe 61. The motor 59 as well as motor 40 are automatically controlled for the safety of the machine attendant by providing in a common circut, not shown, a control switch 68 having a roller arm 69, forv engagement with the side of the counterweight bail or cover so that as the latter is initially raised, the roller rides free and automatically breaks Athe circuit to both motors. Consequently any attempt to open the front door. I5 will necessitate raising. the,- cover. 22` andthis will automatically shut off the pump operation, and the movement of the skein carriers.

While the valves 50 and 6B are shown in conventional manner, the operating handles thereof can be extended through suitable levers and links so that they can be controlled from a point adjacent the front of the machine.

The dye iiuid is maintained in heated condition by the introduction of steam through a U-shaped or other conveniently arranged steam inlet pipe 10 having perforations so that the steam can escape directly into the fluid adjacent the bottom of the tank. The ow of the steam may be controlled in any well known manner.

In the operation of the machine, the skeins are placed along each carrier and the cover closed so that circulation of the dye fluid takes place and reversal of rotation of the skeins during the dyeing process. The projecting carriers facilitate loading and removal of the skeins and the relative arrangement of the dye vents effectively and thoroughly dye the material of the skeins in the shortest time.

The timer 41 is of standard make and can be adjusted for varying time intervals and in view of the fact that boththe timerv and the reversing switch arewell known products and are not claimed per se herein, it is not believed. that further illustration is` needed.

My invention is not to be restricted to the Y precise details of Construction shown since vari.- ous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages to be derived from its use.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for dyeing material comprising a tank, rotatable carriers for supporting skeins of the material mountedin said tank, a cover for the tank, comprising a hollow housing presenting a lower wall, perforated dripv bars in said wall, a perforated fluid pipe passing through said-v housing and constituting a pivot. about which the cover can be swung and a section of the housing encasing said pipe being spaced therefrom in a portion adjacent the perforations to provide for evenly distributing the fluid over the lower wall of said cover, a plurality of means for spraying dye fluid on said skeins, means for circulating the uid through the tank, the cover and said spraying means, and means regulated by the opening and closing movements of said cover for respectively stopping and starting the operation of said fluid circulating means for controlling the circulation of the fluid..

2. A machine for dyeing material. as set forth in claim l in which one of saidfluid spraying means comprises a plurality of perforated pipes extending into said tank, and said drip bars and said pipes being disposed in vertical alignment with and in opposing relation to saidy skeinV carriers.

3. A machine for dyeing material as set forth in claim 1 in which the fluid circulating means includes a motor operated pump, a circuit including said motor and a switch and an arm on the switch movable by the opening and closing movements of said cover to make and break said circuit.

4. A machine for dyeing material a-s setforth in claim 1 including means for rotating said carriers including shafts for mounting the carriers and sprocketson said shafts, a drive chain common to all of said sprockets, means for driving said chain including, a. motor and a. drive REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Simmons Apr. 11, 1911 Fincato Sept. 3, 1912 Schmid June 26, 1917 Lippmann Aug. 7, 1917 Dudley June 4, 1918 Shaner Jan. 1, 1935 Drum May 19, 1936 Guinan Apr. 6, 1937 Johnson Nov. 11, 1941 Verduin Feb. 10, 1942 Dyer Nov. 17, 1942 

